The CT Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/tag/merger/page/2/)
WASHINGTON — Hostilities between proposed merger partners Anthem and Cigna were on full display Tuesday at a key point of a U.S. antitrust trial over the deal. Cigna attorney Rick Rule said the company did not sign a key closing document because it did not agree with Anthem’s characterizations of the testimony of certain Cigna witnesses. Continue Reading →
Updated at 6:35 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Justice Department attorneys on Monday continued to try to undercut arguments by Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini that his company’s Medicare Advantage program competes with government-run Medicare. Continue Reading →
Updated at 4:57 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Opening salvos were fired Monday in the antitrust case against the proposed merger of Aetna and Humana, with Justice Department attorneys arguing the tie-up would mean sharp price hikes for Medicare Advantage plans and a disintegration of choice for people purchasing insurance on Affordable Care Act exchanges. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – As the first part of the antitrust trial on a proposed merger of Anthem and Cigna is wrapping up, a similar challenge to Aetna’s plan to merge with Humana will begin Monday. While both are the result of lawsuits to block the mergers filed by the Justice Department on the same day in July, the trials will be much different. Continue Reading →
Updated at 5:12 p.m.
WASHINGTON — A group of liberal senators and Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini continued their battle Friday, with the lawmakers accusing the insurance executive of avoiding their questions about Aetna’s decision to quit 11 health insurance exchanges. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — The American Medical Association, strongly opposed to the merger of Anthem and Cigna, said the deal would greatly limit competition in Connecticut and nine other states, leading to premium increases and fewer choices of doctors and hospitals for the state’s patients. Continue Reading →
Updated 5:27 p.m.
WASHINGTON – In a strongly worded letter to Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and several other Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, have asked the company to explain why it entered into a “risky” merger deal with Humana that now makes it financially unable to sell policies in 11 state health insurance exchanges. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini told the Justice Department the insurer would have to pull back from the Affordable Care Act’s state insurance exchanges if a proposed merger deal with Humana was not approved, provoking strong reaction on Capitol Hill. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — Aetna and Humana said Tuesday they have an agreement to sell Medicare Advantage business covering 290,000 people to rival insurer Molina if their planned merger is allowed to be completed. Aetna also said it is halting 2017 plans to expand participation on public exchanges and is reviewing all of its current participation on Affordable Care Act exchanges. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said he is concerned an Anthem-Cigna merger would result in decreased competition and higher premiums and will make a decision in as soon as two weeks whether to try to block it in court. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – So far, Aetna appears to be clearing the regulatory and antitrust hurdles it faces to merge with Humana more easily, while Anthem’s proposed marriage to Cigna has faced more troubles. Neither has yet cleared the hurdle of antitrust approval from the U.S. Justice Department. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — A consumer group says Gov. Dannel Malloy should avoid “going back to the days of Corrupticut” and replace Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade as the key state regulator on a proposed mega-merger between Anthem and Cigna insurance companies. Continue Reading →
Updated at 5:30 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Opponents of the proposed Aetna-Humana merger on Thursday blasted the state insurance department for approving the deal, saying it was “rubber stamped” without public input, and asked the department to reopen the case. Continue Reading →
The U.S. House of Representatives was out and the Senate had a shortened work week because of the Veterans Day holiday, but there was still plenty of activity in Congress. The Senate approved a final defense bill that authorizes billions of dollars in spending on weapon systems developed in Connecticut. The Federal Railroad Administration took a big step forward on an ambitious overhaul of the rail system in the Northeast Corridor. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – Saying it would end competition in key markets and erode patient care, the American Medical Association has asked the Justice Department to quash the proposed mergers between insurance giants Aetna and Humana and Anthem and Cigna. Continue Reading →